Welcome to the first installment of what I'm calling 'The Shorts', a collection of unrelated short stories, all of which are either too short, or not fully explored enough to call a one-shot. I'm not sure how many installments there will be, but I'm slowly sorting through my 'Unfinished' folder and I'll figure it out as I go along. There's absolutely five or six to come, probably more. Hope you like them!

This little scene was written before the last book was released, hence the hundred year time frame. Sad and sappy little scene. Enjoy!

As always, I do not own these characters.

"Eric, I know you love me. I do. And you know I love you, and I know I will always love you, but we both know it's not enough. You still have to do what you have to do." Sookie's voice broke on the last words, and she deliberately pulled in a deep, cleansing breath before she continued. She had promised herself she would not cry in front of him tonight. There would be plenty of time for crying later. Tonight was not for tears.

"Lover." She knew his arctic blue eyes were boring into her, trying to penetrate her very soul, but she resolutely refused to meet them. If she was walking away from this night broken-hearted and alone, she was doing it on her own terms. "Sookie. I have called in every favor I have ever been owed, but this fucking contract cannot be broken! We have talked about this before. If I refuse, I will likely be sent to my final fucking death, leaving you completely at the mercy of whichever vicious bastard gets to you first! If I fulfill the contract, you will be left in peace." He jammed his hands into his long blond hair, violently tugging at his scalp, trying to use the physical pain he was inflicting on himself to get control of his rampaging emotions.

"Call it what it is, Eric. If I have to hear you say 'contract' one more time, I swear to God above, I will stake you myself!" Her cerulean eyes flashed with anger as they finally met his. "It's called marriage, Eric. Marriage. Husband and wife. To death do us part. Or, in your case, a hundred years do you part." She laughed, a little sadly, even though her eyes still blazed and her chest heaved with her anger. "Or to put it in the terms I use, at least fifty years after I am likely dead do you part."

Eric quietly absorbed the words she flung at him, never betraying the pain her words inflicted. He had tried reasoning with her for weeks now, but every attempt met with the same conclusion. Failure. She would leave him. The only woman he had ever loved, the only one he would ever love, was going to walk out of his life forever, and there was nothing he could do to stop her. He could tell her the ridiculous lengths he had gone to, the debasement he had put himself through, grovelling for pity from those who would offer none. Appius Livius Ocella had not only been a crazy motherfucker, but also an extremely thorough motherfucker. The contract with Oklahoma was unbreakable. He had tried everything and was met again with failure. Fucking failure everywhere. He should have known he wasn't meant to keep such a treasure as Sookie.

"Those words were not meant to hurt you, Sookie." He sighed, closing his eyes briefly before he continued. "No matter what you may think, this is not a marriage. Not to me. You are my wife, Sookie, and you always will be. Not even death will ever change that for me. You are the one I chose, lover. This contract – this marriage contract is being forced on me. No matter what, I will never call her wife. I will hold you in my heart forever, my lover."

"Oh, Eric." Sookie sighed back at him as she closed the distance between them, allowing her head to rest against the broad expanse of his rock hard chest. "I don't want to do this again. I don't want to spend the little time we have left hurting each other, over and over. You can't change this, and I can't change me. I can't and won't share you." The two stood wrapped in each others arms for what seemed like forever until Sookie's soft voice broke the silence. "I need you to love me one more time, Eric. Take me to my room?"

Eric stiffened slightly in her embrace, momentarily unsure if she'd actually uttered the words he heard; the words he had dreamt of hearing. She hadn't welcomed him to her bed in some time now, and he had been sure he would never be welcomed there again. He could almost feel his undead heart take a shaky, shuddering beat as he looked down into her beautiful, upturned face. Her expression was so serene, so relaxed he thought for sure he must have mistaken her words. He leaned forward to brush his lips softly across hers.

"Lover?" His husky voice sent shivers directly to her core. Their eyes met again, and her heart broke just a little bit more when she saw the hesitation, uncertainty and pain in her vampire's eyes. She knew her request would have been unexpected, but never expected it to cause her Viking any anguish. Reaching up to wrap a slender arm around his neck, she drew him closer, kissing him gently at first, her mouth soft on his, until she couldn't take his passivity any longer, and aggressively deepened the kiss, her tongue sliding across his, imitating what she really wanted.

"Take me, Eric."

Her words penetrated the haze in his brain, and he reflexively swept her into his arms, racing through the old farmhouse at vampire speed. She was on her bed in no less than five seconds. He swiftly moved to place himself beside her on the soft cotton spread on her bed, his muscled frame pressed to her soft one. One large hand cupped her face, gently tucking strands of golden blonde hair behind her ear.

"Are you sure, lover?" His voice was husky with need, and the evidence of his desire for her was throbbing steadily between them. He needed to hear her say the words desperately.

"I'm sure. I want this. I need you." Her hand traced down the length of his torso, her nails gently scraping down the soft fabric of his black T-shirt. Her hand reached the waistband of his faded denims and paused just briefly before slipping inside to grasp his length in her warm hand. "I want you to claim me, Eric, claim me as yours one last time. I want you to fuck me and bite me and rub yourself all over me. Mark me. Tell me I am yours one last time."

A strangled groan escaped from the vampire's throat as she told him, in no uncertain terms, what she wanted. Her small hand wrapped around him, squeezing to emphasize every word she spoke. He was overcome with the depth of his love for this frail girl, and the longing he felt to fulfill her every desire flamed through his body. He swiftly divested them of the clothes separating her naked flesh from his and set about giving her everything she asked for, and some things she hadn't. He knew in his soul Sookie was saying goodbye to him tonight. Even without the bond between them, he could feel her raw emotions simmering between them through the evening, bouncing frantically off his own ragged ones. He fucked her as she asked, bitten her and marked her as his, but the memory he would take with him of this evening was far different.

For the rest of his existence, for however long he survived this world, he would always be able to recall, with perfect clarity, the last time they came together as one. A scant hour before dawn, they made love as they had never done before. All the barriers between them tumbled down as they gave themselves fully to one another for the very first time, and the very last time. There was no urgency to their coupling, no frenzy in their motions. As always, Eric maintained exquisite eye contact throughout, their eyes locked on one another. Eric felt as if she was reaching the very depths of his soul, a place he hadn't felt since his mortal life ended. The Viking was undone.

For Sookie, the experience was indescribable, delicious, bittersweet, fulfilling and soul-shattering. Looking deep into his eyes as his body slid into hers, she felt a satisfying sense of completeness, a feeling of being whole and right enveloped her, shaking her resolve to walk away from the vampire who felt as if he were made for her. Her soul reached out to touch his, and she could feel part of herself attaching itself firmly to her vampire lover, never to return to her. He would carry a piece of her with him forever, and in a bittersweet moment of clarity as her orgasm rushed to engulf her, she knew she would never again feel whole without him.

Eric lay quietly with her for as long as he dared, his body sending uncomfortable reminders of the sun's inevitable approach. They stroked one another tenderly, petting gently, rubbing softly until the vampire reluctantly rose from the warm confines of his lover's embrace. He dressed quickly before turning to look at her one last time, burning her image into his brain. She looked so lovely, soft and warm, her hair tousled about her flushed face. He bent down, claiming her swollen lips in a final kiss, his tongue making a final sweep of her mouth, drinking in her taste, her essence, another memory to store for eternity.

"I will love you forever, Sookie Stackhouse." He rose, moving to the door of her room. He glanced back as she called his name.

"I love you, too, Eric Northman. "

Thanks for reading!